Most Challenged Books of 2009

The Canadian Library Association (CLA) has released a list of the most challenged books for 2009 in their Report of the Annual Survey of the Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom.

Charlaine Harris tops the list for "The Southern Vampire Mysteries." This series was challenged four separate times within the same library system.

Two challenges to three titles were reported for 2009. They include a film, “Fired Up!”, a teen comedy directed by Will Gluck; Mummy Laid an Egg! by Babette Cole, a juvenile picture book; and NOW Magazine.

And Tango Makes Three has been challenged each year since the survey was begun in 2006.

The 2009 survey indicates that 139 challenges were reported, with two-thirds of the challenges occurring in public libraries. School libraries accounted for 34% and academic libraries the remaining 2%. Teaching assistants were responsible for one-third of all challenges, patrons for 30%, parents and guardians for 20%, and library staff for 15%. Library materials were retained in 41% of the 2009 challenges, relocated or reclassified in 32% of cases, and removed in 25%.

The full list of challenges follows:

List of Challenges to Resources and Policies
Reported by Publicly-Funded Canadian Libraries, 2009

Challenges are listed alphabetically by number of challenges per item. (Note that unverified bibliographic data are recorded here as originally supplied by library officials who contributed to the 2009 Survey.)

Series – 4 challenges each:
The Southern Vampire Mysteries (series of 10 books), by Charlaine Harris

Series – 1 challenge each:
Gossip Girl (series of 15 books), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Negima! (series of 29 books), by Ken Akamatsu
Speak Spanish with Dora and Diego (series of 2 items), book and CD

Individual item – 2 challenges each:
“Fired Up!” DVD, with Nicholas D'agosta and Sarah Roemer
Mummy Laid an Egg!, by Babette Cole
NOW Magazine

Individual item – 1 challenge each:
“1900,” DVD, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
Adbusters: Journal of the Mental Environment
The Anal Sex Position Guide, by Tristan Taormino
And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons and True Stories, edited by Ivan Brunetti
"Azimi & Ramin Bahrani," directed & edited by Ramin Bahrani
“Bear Cub,” DVD
Beet, the Vandel Buster, by Riku Sanjo and illus. Koji Inada
Bended Elbow, by Eleanor M. Jacobson
“Borat,” by Sacha Baron Cohen
“Chop Shop,” film, directed by Ramin Bahrani
Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads, compiled by John A. Comax and Alan Comax (published 1910)
“Creature Comforts,” DVD
Culture Smart! Canada
“Donkey X,” DVD, directed by Jose Pozo
Faithful Elephants
“Father Christmas,” video, by Raymond Briggs
Franklin the Fly, by R.O. Blechman
The Going Down Guide, by Emily Dubberley
Hand, Hand, Finger, Thumb, by Al Perkins
Hooking Up with Tila Tequila, by Tila Tequila
“Islam: What the West Needs to Know,” DVD
King & King, by Linda de Haan
The Krakow Ghetto and the Plaszow Camp Remembered, by Malvina Graf
“Leolo,” DVD
Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide 2010 Edition, by Leonard Maltin
Mummy Never Told Me, by Babette Cole
My Mom's Having a Baby
“Noah's Arc,” video, with Jon Voigt
The Notebook Girls: Four Friends, One Diary, by Julia Baskin
“Outsourced,” DVD, Russell Peters
Paris Match Magazine, Aug. 12, 2009 issue
“Pink Flamingoes,” film, directed by John Waters
Qu'est ce que tu fais là?
“Relapse,” CD, by Eminem
The Sex Instruction Manual, by Felicia Zopol
Sports Illustrated, swimsuit edition
Steal This Book, by Abby Hoffman
“The Story of Seabiscuit,” film, starring Shirley Temple
“Taking Lives,” DVD
Vendetta, by Fern Michaels
A Walk with Jane Austen, by Lori Smith
Wetlands, by Charlotte Roche
Whole Pet Diet, by Ann Brown
“Xizang. The Folk Songs of Tibet,” CD
Ying Zai Qi Dian, by Xingwang Zhou

Policies – 1 challenge each:
Library policy of acquiring CDs with “clean” rather than original lyrics, that is, those without “parental advisory” labeling
Library policy of weeding books uncirculated for 10 years or more regardless of presumed status as “classics”